~ Awakening

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Book Terms

NOTE: Not all terms appear in Awakening. Some are based on supplementary information and are meant to add depth to the world.

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence): the self-aware and adaptive computer system used in the Station mainframes. A lesser version was used in the re-mechs. Different stations had different A.I.’s, such as Genesis having Warden and Revelation having Guardian, Ezra has Watcher while Malachi has Sentinel.

Beasts: various animals that were corrupted on a cellular level by the pollution, resulting in increased aggression and a change in habits. These animals include the Bile Seeker, Erymanthian, Dyr, Tau, Vultures, Devil’s Halo, Cóyotl, and Fenrir; among others.

Behemoth Wing: an S-class airship and the largest ever created, it was destroyed while evacuating people from the capital by 100 origin points. It crashed into Pure and destroyed a large portion of the city. Its wreckage later became known as Behemoth Sorrow.

Bluejoy: a small, brightly colored bird species. Known for their vibrant colors (purple, blue, aqua and light green) and their melodious cry. They are common and are seen as symbols of loyalty and joy. They will attack any snakes they see, even if outmatched.

Ç’aether (pronounced SAY-ther): a crystallized form of pollution that only appears in the most polluted areas, large deposits have been sighted in the southern areas. They radiate small doses of pollution (mainly in the form of airborne pollutants and carcinogens) into the surrounding area. They are quite sturdy and can take a lot of damage. They can form origin points if enough force is applied. They take the form of large violet crystals.

Carçus City (pronounced CAR-Sus): a large city built in the Quantum Age that thrived until the South Wars, in which it was destroyed by a missile attack (carrying outlawed chemical warheads). It is heavily polluted and situated by the sea.

Cellian Act: a law that banned the use of all nuclear power and nuclear weapons due to their unhealthy and potentially catastrophic nature. All existing nuclear arms were scrapped and most reactors were dismantled shortly after the law was ratified.

Cóyotl: a coyote breed found commonly in heavily polluted areas. They are discoloured due to their long-term exposure to pollutants in the air and water.

Creed Event: the first recorded study of the pollution by Dr Sam Mendel (taking place in Fel-Cava). Remembered as the event which cemented the destructive nature of concentrated pollution (Ç’aether). Scientists had been dispatched to investigate the high level of pollutants coming from the cave, in which they discovered that it was actually the entrance to a massive underground network of caverns, which were filled with the runoff of decades of years of pollution (from the nearby city of Pure and its surrounding farms and factories). As a precaution, a containment field was setup around the cave and the surrounding area, but an accident destroyed the field generator and created a large hole in the earth, allowing the toxic pollution to escape, which in turn led to a chain reaction of origin points.

Derickson Act: a law outlawing all experiments involving genetic manipulation and cloning due to the appearance of several negative side-effects.

Dyr: A polluted form of deer, able to live in the polluted environment with few side-effects, has red eyes and a dark grey coat.

Erymanthian: a large, reddish brown boar. It bears a scar over its right eye and walks with a limp. Fiercely territorial, it attacks without provocation or restraint.

Fae-Meteoria: A mythological beast that descended from the heavens to smite those who had sinned against the gods, it took the form of a seven headed dragon with ram horns. It would eat those who had committed the seven sins against heaven (lust, gluttony, anger, sloth, envy, pride, greed) with a different head for each sin. A relic of an ancient, forgotten religion.

Fel-Cava: a strange cave that was the center of the Creed Event. In modern times, the cave has been sealed off, to prevent people getting in, or more pollution getting out.

Freedman Rebellion: large scale protests by radical activists against the forced slavery of re-mechs during the South Wars. Put down by force from surviving U.N.O.E military soldiers. Led by Arthur Freedman, who was killed in the last protest. Began during the Quantum Age, when re-mechs were used as mindless machines, until the day Arthur saw an act of spontaneous thought from a servant re-mech which sparked his desire for re-mechs to be accepted as normal citizens and given rights. Became an armed conflict after radicals joined the movement, leading to a large scale fight between the government and the re-mechs and their human sympathizers. Ended with the use of the Kill-switch 2-alpha, which effectively reset/blanked every re-mech. Led to the creation of the second generation re-mechs, who were built with emotion limiters and limited A.I.’s (to prevent the rebellion from occurring again).

Geographical satellite: geo-sat for short; a series of satellites that orbit the planet in fixed circuits, mapping and scanning the surface. Created to monitor troop movements during wars but later used to track the spread of pollution. Re-mech often link up with them in order to calibrate their navigation systems. Few people in the public sector know of their existence.

Gravity Well Generator: a machine invented during the Quantum Age. It creates a massive influx of gravitons in an area, which draws in any nearby bodies. It can also be used to deplete an area of gravitons, creating a zero gravity environment.

Great Sleep, The: slang term for the cryogenic sleep which was supposed to last for hundreds of years.

Hammond System: a system of tunnels and wires connecting each cryogenic Station and linking all of the computer cores. Used in the construction of the Stations, they were sealed off after it was discovered that pollution had begun building in the tunnels. Mostly forgotten by humanity, several stations were also shut down or closed off due to their geological instability. Was contracted under the code name “Project Nexus”.

“Hark and listen for the reaper is coming” by Leonora Wick: a children’s song often heard before the Great Sleep, its purpose was to teach and warn kids of the dangers of pollution and stop them from endangering themselves. The song is about a boy and girl who are running and playing in a field filled with pollution, the girl is wary of the pollution and stays healthy but the boy gets sick and is taken away by “Uncle Reaper”. Many still hum the song under their breath if they are entering a polluted area, as if the song will keep them safe.

Hypercane: a mega storm created by pollutant particles in the air combined with normal weather patterns, has multiple tornado funnels, dark lightning, acid rain and gale force winds. Appears without warning and disappears just as quickly. Is able to decimate entire cities. Hard to outrun, and resulted in the loss of millions of lives.

Iager, Sage: a prominent religious figure who prophesized the end of the world (known collectively as the Negation Prophecy). He was persecuted for what he said and was sent into exile. He died shortly after giving a prophecy of the final battle to decide the fate of the world.

Integration Theory: proposed by Professor Valmann, it stated that mysterious beings controlled the world and that the planet had a consciousness that exceeded humanity’s scope of comprehension. He based his work off ancient stories and presented his theory to U.N.O.E, but was ridiculed for believing in children’s fables and ghosts and resigned from his post (an eminent teaching position). He disappeared from the public eye for decades afterwards until his death.

Jericho: a mysterious city that is said to have survived the pollution and the South Wars. It is considered a myth by many, nevertheless, several people have set out in search of it, hoping to find a fully functional city in which to claim as their own, although none have ever returned.

Jotuns, The: a group of mercenaries that were active in the South Wars. They worked for the highest bidder (until the money stopped, in which case they had a nasty case of going to work for the enemy). They were highly trained and specialized in the use of experimental weapons and technology.

Judai: a once prosperous country located to the Far East, it was destroyed early in the South Wars. Its people were scattered and became wanderers, eventually adopting the philosophy that all the world was their home, and that all other nations were trespassers. A secretive people, they often face scorn and hatred from the locals as they travel from settlement to settlement, which is reinforced by the belief that they are thieves and swindlers. They worship the Goddess Aster and God Astrum who brought life to the world in the form of a burning seed. They have a prophecy that the Widdowson and Widdowdaughter will appear before them in a time of great peril and bring life to the world once more. Due to their dangerous lifestyle, they have honed their instincts and survival ability, with the women in particular being ferocious in combat.

Judgement Day: a non-nuclear warhead first used in the South Wars, it has a high impact shell that can vaporize a hundred-thousand people in an instant. An unforeseen side-effect is that it drastically raises both the amount and deadliness of all pollution in the area. Distinguished by the Ç‘aether ‘forest’ that forms at the impact site. It was later discovered that it used a concentrated form of pollution as a warhead material. Outlawed after only three months of use. The remaining shells were supposedly destroyed.

Killswitch-2 alpha: a fail safe created by U.N.O.E in the event all re-mechs revolted, sends out a signal that erases the A.I. of every re-mech on the planet, effectively destroying their ‘souls’. It was used during the Freedman’s revolts, ending re-mech involvement. Unknown to most humans, the surviving re-mech modified themselves so that they merely reboot after receiving the signal.

Killswitch-2 Beta: a voice activated version for use on single re-mech, a special code is uttered followed by the word ‘terminate’, the code varies by re-mech model. Eg. “Delta. Quantum. Thaum. Terminate” destroys all CX-xx models

Lanista: “The Instigator of Violence” a named chainsword. It is comprised of a black blade with a blue circuit-board pattern (which glows when used). It has a half-moon tip and is ringed by countless ‘teeth’ which rotate like a chainsaw. Above the hilt is a small engine with twin exhausts, as well as a ripcord. Has 5 gears which speed up the rotation of the teeth.

Larkhesis plans: a group of projects devised by the world’s leading scientists and engineers and authorized by U.N.O.E in order to clear up the increasing pollution. Included Projects Phoenix , Eden , Artelius and Jericho . Project Earthborn was theorized but never enacted . Project Seraphim was scrapped due to disastrous results . Project Genesis (known originally as Project Somnus) was the cryogenesis plan, and was considered a last resort by many.

Lasienda: the bright north star, used by many as a means of navigation. Comes with a legend that Lasienda, a mortal woman, caught the attention of Hephelda, a goddess, who hated to see any woman she thought more beautiful than she. She tricked Lasienda into becoming a star, intent on showing her just how plain and ordinary she was in comparison to the cosmos. Hephelda’s husband, Ororkas, took pity on Lasienda and turned her into the brightest star in the sky, undoing Hephelda’s plan and giving Lasienda even more attention and love than before

“Legend of Geondal, The”by an unknown author: an ancient tale of a warrior, Geondal, on a quest to reunite with his lover, he travels across oceans and mountains and battles a Roc, Naga and Behemoth before encountering her captor, Prince Edirp. Geondal exhibits great confidence in his abilities but is killed due to overconfidence and his lover tearfully commits suicide. They die in each others arms. The moral is too much pride and confidence can lead too your downfall.

Lost Manifesto, The: a massive database of every living human on the planet, detailing their full biography and location. Created in order to keep track of the future cryogenic Station inhabitants, it was lost when a lock-down protocol was triggered by accident and the records were digitally sealed off.

Major Evans Adolphus: a decorated war hero (South Wars) who never retreated and never lost. Many aspired to be like him and thousands applied to join his regiment based on his fame alone. In reality he was a brutal and unforgiving leader who would sacrifice thousands of his own troops for victory. He eventually resorted to using pollution based weapons for their tactical advantage even after their environmental danger was revealed. After being convicted of war crimes, he went rouge and became the leader of a group of mercenaries,The Bile Seekers. He and his group were finally brought down by a multinational 500 strong contingent. His famous last words, “My war has only just begun!” sparked fervor and debate as to their meaning for decades after his passing.

“Marvelous Tales of Grandeur and Mystery, Part VII”by Matthew Welvin: a collection of short stories that all centered on pollution and what to do in order to stay safe and healthy. Written for kids, with several cute characters serving as metaphors for the reality of the miasma, for example: “Careless Cow” for kids playing near pollution; “Safe and Sleeping Snake” for the wonders of cryogenic sleep; “Meddlesome monkey” for staying away from dangerous or important machinery. The book became immensely popular and most children know the stories off by heart.

Maximillian Contract: a major building contract awarded to Maximillian & Co, an international contracting company. Allowed for almost limitless resources for the construction of any necessary vehicles or buildings vital to the Larkhesis plans.

Negation prophecy: an ancient prophecy that stated the world would become devoid of all life due to the effects of one man. Foretold by Sage Iager.

NEURO-997: a neuromuscular paralytic gas used as a defense measure in important government facilities. It works in minutes, and is transmitted via an airborne gas that is odorless and colorless. It’s purpose is to knock out any potentially dangerous animals or people who threaten the safety of the station’s inhabitants.

Nightblighter: a genetically-altered creature created by splicing together the genes of several different species, including spiders, scorpions and centipedes. It is highly venomous and aggressive during the night, but it is normally in its burrow during the day. Has four red eyes, a long segmented body, a stinger and can shoot silk coated in poison that paralyzes anything it touches.

“Novalith Saint” by Erin Tuppin: a famous book written just before the Creed Event, it’s about a woman who tries to escape from a high security prison (Novalith)located in the upper atmosphere. Her one and only desire is to ‘fly free’ once more before she dies. She eventually escapes but is fatally wounded during the prison break. She dies as she descends, having realized her dream of freedom.

Octavian census: a global census enacted by Derrick Octavo as a means of recording the number of people left alive and transport them to the cryogenic Stations, although many people managed to escape the census. The official list was lost, becoming The Lost Manifesto.

Origin Point: an area of highly condensed pollution, normally non-expansive. Triggered by various means, it is highly toxic and volatile when triggered. The largest ever recorded was during the Creed Event, when a massive amount of trapped pollution (in the form of Ç’aether crystals) ignited due to a field generator explosion. It looks like a dark, swirling, electrified cloud with violet blotches, it eventually solidifies into Ç’aether if enough pollution congregates, and can be reverted back into pollution by explosions or large scale seismic activity.

Oxygen Filtration Mask: (Oxy-Fil; Filter; re-breather; masks; Pulmo’s) a device invented after the Creed Event. The mask filters a portion of airborne pollutants, extending the amount of time one is able to travel on the surface. Difficult to make with low results, only a few hundred were created, which were then spread to the Stations. A meter on the side tells the user how much longer the filter will last.

“Paths of Salvation” by Eugusto Clementine: a book written to protest the cryogenesis plan which suggested alternate ways to heal the planet. The first way was through religious zeal and repentance, the second was a nomadic, non-technological life, and the third was to obtain spiritual enlightenment. Needless to say, the public for the most part mocked his efforts as being unproductive and he was exiled, where he became religious, nomadic and enlightened, which ultimately did little to stop his death from pollution sickness.

Pure: Capital city of the Quantum Age. Home to 35 million people, it was destroyed as a result of the Creed Event. Over 1000 Origin Points formed as a result of a chain reaction after a large underground pocket of pollution was released. The city was salvaged to build the Stations. Its buildings were said to be of purest white, which gave it the moniker The White City. It was surrounded by the diverging Ascentia River, which flooded during the crisis, decreasing the amount of people that could evacuate via land transport.

Quantum Age: a period of great technological advancement and industrial acceleration, resulting in an increased rate of pollution. The so called Golden Age of Humanity, many ground-breaking technologies were invented, including colony ships, gravity well generators, re-mechs, cryogenics, genetic manipulation, and laser weapons. Ended by the Creed Event and the End of Knowledge.

“Quantum Physics: The Key to our Salvation?” by Professor Erigor von Carthage: a book that proposed to use quantum physics to shift the planet’s inhabitants along the p-brane to a higher dimension using a collapsing wave-form and anchoring them in a new phase-space. Rejected by the general community for three reasons: 1) no one could understand was Erigor was actually saying, 2) the plan would have drained the planet of all of its power, leaving none for the cryogenesis if it should fail, and 3) Erigor claimed that a mysterious alien had given him the idea. The book was banned and all copied were burnt. Soon after, the author renounced all interest in the scientific community and became a farmer. Strangely enough, the plan would most likely have succeeded and saved thousands of lives and years of hardships if it had been followed.

Quark Deconstruction Device: a high powered, high yield implosion bomb with the ability to level entire cities via the denaturing of sub-atomic bonds. Originally used to great effect in the South Wars, it was later re-purposed for use by re-mech in clearly large areas of high pollutant contamination.

Quindin’s law: a mathematical law that stated that the pollution would grow exponentially if released (via Origin Points), later found to be flawed due to a mathematical error: p^0.30 per month (how quickly pollution would fill an acre of land in one month), later revealed to be p^30.0 per month. Because of this, early warning systems for cities were incorrectly programmed, leading to phased evacuation plans that were too stretched out, resulting in the death of millions due to slow response times from emergency services.

Redback Scorpion: a native of the Solas Infernus Badlands, the scorpion is noted for two things: its scarlet back and its incredibly lethal poison.

Re-mech: Revitalization Mechatron. Mechanical robots assigned to clean up the planet while humans slumbered, before the Great Sleep they worked as slaves and servants for nobles and governments (they were originally called Retainer Mechatrons). They are varied in shape and function but all possess advanced A.I. but lack true emotions due to their emotion limiters. Many served as soldiers during the South Wars because of their strength and durability. All re-mechs have inbuilt rules called “commandments”:

Thou shall not kill others unless all other options are expended (can be overridden by a certified operator)

Thou shall not kill oneself unless ordered by a certified U.N.O.E member

Thou shall serve all wishes of humans to the best of one’s capabilities, unless it contrasts with rules 1 or 2

Thou shall not rest, nor stop working for any reason other than mechanical failure or fuel depletion.

Thou shall erase all data when the proper kill-switch code has been issued

Thou will not tamper with one’s own system unless directly ordered to

Riltium: an incredibly durable material with properties of both steel and plastic. Able to be bent 90° without fracturing, it utilizes carbon nano-tubes for composite joints. Used in the construction of key buildings.

Solas Infernus Badlands: a massive desert north of Carçus City, it used to be a forest but erosion and degradation have reduced it to a sand-sea. Very few creatures are strong enough to survive there. A few small oases’ dot the landscape, offering shade and water for any desperate travellers. It has relatively low levels of pollution when compared to surrounding areas, this is because the majority has been trapped in a large underground cavern system.

South Wars, The: a series of wars between all of the nations of the planet, fought mainly by re-mechs and lower class citizens over the last non-polluted lands. They were ended by the emergence of polluted particles in the areas being fought over. Billions were killed and several nations were destroyed. This led to several pacts and treaties designed to try and heal the planet and undo some of the damage the wars had wrought.

Sons of Ares, The: the foremost military contingent of Pure, they were based in the city and were charged with its defence. They attempted to evacuate the city but perished when Behemoth Wing fell from the sky.

Sorrows, Day of: Officially, the day when the last unpolluted area was corrupted which marked the end of the South Wars. A day when every combatant laid down their weapons and cried at the sight of what their foolishness had caused. The second Venetian Treaty started one day later.

Taille à Tille, Battle of: (pronounced TAIL a TIL) a major battle that occurred during the South Wars. 150 000 casualties spread across five days of fighting. The major groups were the Northern Alliance, The Five Nation Army and the City of Taille à Tille Defence Force. The battle ended with the destruction of the city and the surrounding countryside.

Tau: a corrupted form of a mountain lion, native to the Solas Infernus Badlands, they move in packs, scavenging amongst the sands for scraps of food. They will track their prey for miles before setting a well-timed ambush.

T-day: the day that all cryogenic pods were simultaneously activated all over the world using an atomic clock and the worldwide Station uplink system.

“The Rise of the Enslaved” by Theodore D. Ashwick: a Freedman manifesto which encouraged re-mech owners to free them and try to free any re-mechs nearby. It proposed that re-mechs be given equal rights to those of humans and also stressed the non-violent way of the Freedman revolution. Its message was misinterpreted which led to massive riots with severe outcomes. Many tried to force their friends and neighbours to free their re-mechs and hundreds were killed trying to resist. The book was banned and the author placed in jail but it was too late to stop the Freedman movement from turning to violent methods to achieve results.

Tragedy, day of: a day when hundreds of people committed suicide rather than be placed inside the cryogenic pods. Believed to have been orchestrated by a cult which blamed science for polluting the planet. They stated that they would rather die than be potentially frozen forever, which would seal their souls inside their undying bodies, preventing them from ever moving on.

U-type Train: trains used in the Hammond system, they used electromagnetism to “float” above the rails. They had a maximum speed of 565 km/hour, could carry up to 900 humans and were fully automated.

U.N.O.E: an international organization created to monitor and reverse the effects of the rapidly increasing pollution levels; it was staffed by people from every nation. Once the South Wars broke out, it fell apart. The surviving members signed the Second Venetian Treaty and disappeared back to their original countries.

Valkyrie Orichalcus: a mythological figure that was said to have watched over the planet and rewarded those who protected it. The figure was described as having long grey hair, glowing eyes and wielded a massive crook with an iridescent orb in the crook’s cusp.

Vehicles:

“Saving Grace” jump jet: a six-seater jet found in a hangar beneath Carçus. It is fully automated and fully submersible.

Voxner 250: a large truck used in many mining operations. Production ceased after a series of catastrophic failures and accidents. Top speed is 300 km/hour. A favourite of car enthusiasts, with some reported to have reached speeds of 600 km/hour after tuning. Consists of a two-seater cab and a large cargo trailer. The standard paintjob consisted of a red and black checkerboard pattern.

ODS “Odyssey”: An orbital drop ship and mobile weapons platform used prominently in the South Wars to drop soldiers, re-mechs and cargo into hard to reach areas. Each ship was equipped with numerous defence mechanisms and safety features.

Venetian Treaty: a major treaty between the nations of the world, it effectively stopped all conflict and lifted all trade restraints. It also created the U.N.O.E to monitor the development of projects designed to clear up the pollution. The treaty was largely forgotten as the pollution worsened and small scale wars broke out over non-polluted areas. It was completely broken by the South Wars.

Venetian Treaty (Second): a treaty between the remnants of the world governments and the last living members of U.N.O.E, created after the South Wars. It authorized Dr Tyranus -who was in charge of mass cryogenesis plan- to proceed with the freezing of all humans and the setting of the re-mechs to auto-pilot (Project Jericho). The logo of the treaty, which was used for all official plans, was a golden hand clutching a green and blue planet. Their motto was, “For the Sake of a Better Future”.

Weapons:

Chainsword: a cross between a chainsaw and a sword, used by construction re-mechs. Coloured blue and black, it is self-powered, about 5 feet in length, with sharp “teeth” that run along the edge. It is relatively light due to the composite material used in its construction. It has twin exhausts on either side, as well as a mini-engine above the hilt with a ripcord for activation. Known for its signature roar when started, it saw extensive use in the dismantling of Pure’s buildings after the city fell.

Mining laser: a high energy handheld laser used primarily by miners and re-mechs. It shoots a bright, thin green beam that rebounds off reflective surfaces. It has a high intensity and could only be wielded by trained operators. It can overheat if used extensively.

Sonic amplifier (cannon): a mining tool which amplifies background noise and directs it forward, used to shatter rocks and trees in order to clear mining sites. Too heavy to be used by humans, they are equipped to most re-mechs. When used creates cones of compressed air and sound which are expelled at high velocity.

Solar staff: uses solar power to create a small electrostatic field to deflect energy bursts. Used in close quarter combat, it was designed to retract for easier storage. It was developed during the South Wars.

Anti-personnel field (APF): generates a high voltage electric field around the user, which shocks anyone close by. Can also be used to power machinery for short periods of time. It looks like a thin silver bracelet. Originally developed for the personal protection of women.

APL v-5 (anti-personnel laser): mounted lasers used in building defence. They fire bursts of explosive energy shells which seek out pre-programmed heat signatures.

Garrick Anti-Military Projectile (GAMP): a small black metallic sphere normally buried in the ground. It has a proximity sensor and when triggered, bounces upwards and explodes into hundreds of small, fast spheres that radiate outwards and pierce through foes. Known as Splitters or Bouncers to many veterans. Designed by the Garrick brothers to inflict as many wounds as possible, but to be non-fatal, burdening the armies with more wounded that they could handle.

Mjolnir Equalizer: s rifle specially made for soldier re-mech during the south wars. Too heavy for normal fighters, it holds 300 armour piercing rounds. Due to the increased fire rate it has lowered accuracy, and was primarily designed for laying down covering fire whilst human troops advanced. Name comes from the “hammering” sound it made when being used.

The Basilisk: a large, South War era tank. Equipped with two turrets: 1 for incendiary rounds (for humans) and 1 for EMP rounds (for re-mechs). Could hold seven people. Heavily armoured and bristling with armaments, including a mounted ground-to-air missile launcher. The immense cost of producing these titans limited their use on the battlefield, but many still exist in the storage units of private collectors.

Xavier Holt: the elected leader of the U.N.O.E, he authorized the massacre of the Freedman rebels. He was assassinated by a surviving member. He ruled in an authoritarian manner and rationalized his actions as being for the greater glory of humanity. Ultimately his poor leadership skills and callous manner led in part to the dissolution of the U.N.O.E and the breakout of the South Wars.

Yelding plan: a rejected Larkhesis plan. It proposed to evacuate all VIP’s in a new colony ship and send them to a private moon base, it became unfeasible after the South Wars broke out.

Yensa, Sage: a prominent sage who worked with Sage Iager, he wrote down all of the prophecies and distributed them across the world. He was branded a heretic and eventually executed.